Artificial tooth



April 26, 1955 c. N. sklNNER ARTIFICIAL TOOTH Filed Aug. 21, 1948 JNVENTOR. Z4/MNM .iK/Awa?,

XZW j 4f-ramen United States Patent O ARTIFICIAL TOOTH Clawson N. Skinner, Whittier, Calif. Application August 21, 1948, Serial No. 45,515

6 Claims. (Cl. 32-10) This invention relates to tooth restorations, and especially to artificial teeth or tooth facings.

When one or more artificial teeth are used for a restoration of missing teeth, it has been common to support a tooth facing upon a cast metal frame or support. This support (usually gold or a gold alloy) is arranged to rest on the gums; and it is quite massive, extending inwardly toward the interior of the mouth. To produce this support, a wax form of it is carefully fashioned by the dentist, as by the aid of a duplicate cast of the jaw of the patient. Then a replica of this form is cast to provide the tooth frame. The frame usually includes means for anchoring it to the adjacent remaining teeth in the jaw.

The frame thus formed in this well known manner has an outer surface to which the tooth facing is attached in any suitable manner, as by pins, or a key. That surface of the frame which faces inwardly of the mouth is then shaped carefully by grinding to provide a comfortable contour for the wearer, and to produce a natural continuation of the inner surfaces of the remaining teeth. This process of grinding and finishing the inner surface of the frame is laborious and costly.

It is one of the objects of this invention to facilitate the final fitting of the frame to the mouth, and especially by obviating this laborious lgrinding process.

When a facing is to be used in conjunction with a crown or similar attachment for restoring a tooth form, the usual procedure involves careful and laborious work, so that the crown may fit the prepared preparation. It is another object of this invention to simplify this process.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of several forms in which it may be embodied. Such forms are shown in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. trating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that such detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of one form of backing for supporting an artificial facing and incorporating the invention, viewed from the rear;

Fig. 2 is an isometric view of the backing, taken from the front, with the tooth facing in place thereon and partly broken away;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a completed artificial tooth, using the backing shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a view, similar to Fig. 3, of a modified form f the backing;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, taken along a plane corresponding to line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an isometric view of one form of a facing support as it may be utilized for restoring a tooth;

Fig. 7 is a pictorial view showing an artificial backing shown in position on a model;

Fig. 8 is a similar pictorial view, illustrating the manner in which a restored tooth is incorporated, and viewed from the front; and

Fig. 9 is a vertical section of the restored tooth utilizing the backing shown in Figs. 6 and 8.

The backing for the restoration comprises a front base 1 which may be made from appropriate material, such as gold or gold alloy. On the front of this base is provided appropriate means for attaching a facing 2 which forms the exterior part of the restoration and in view on the These forms will now be described in detail, illus- 2,706,854 Patented Apr. 26, 1955 wearer. For example, the base 1 may be provided with a dovetail key 3 which fits into a corresponding dovetail groove in the facing 2.

The facing 2 may be of any appropriate material simuating the appearance of a tooth, such as plastic or porceain.

Furthermore, the base 1 is made to correspond in size for any restoration, the dentist then removing, as by grinding, whatever may be in excess of that required.

Restorations of this character are usually held in place against adjacent teeth by other types of restorations, such as inlays, etc. This is shown, for example, in Fig. 7, where the inlays 4 of the adjacent teeth 5 and 6 are shown as attached to the base 1 so that the restored tooth may be held firmly in position.

Although base 1 forms an appropriate support for the facing 2, it is necessary that a lingual form comparable to natural anatomical form be restored, as by a relatively massive backing that conforms to the interior of the jaw; and it must rest comfortably upon the gums 9 (Fig. 3) of the wearer. In order to provide this form, a special structure now to be described is used.

At the lingual side of the base 1, and integral therewith, there are a plurality of intersecting ribs 7, 8. These ribs are made of relatively thin material, adequate in form, depth, and relation to fulfill the requirements.

These ribs 7 and 8 have edges that may be ground down to reduce the depth of the ribs. In this way, they are made to conform with the required contour of the lingual form of the restoration. This is indicated in Fig. 3, which shows in light lines the original depth of the ribs. This figure also shows the relation of the lingual form to that of the face form, which can be conformed to the aesthetic requirements. After this forming of the ribs is accomplished, as by grinding the edges or otherwise, the recesses formed by the ribs and the base 1 are then filled with suitable material, such as the filling 10, as of gold or a gold alloy. At the same time this filling is made it is attached to the supporting structure such as the inlays 4 (Fig. 7) on either side.

In fitting the tooth to the mouth, the dentist makes a replica of those portions of the jaws that are concerned with the fitting of the artificial tooth. Then the backing shown in Fig. l is shaped by proper reduction of the sides of the base 1 and proper reduction of the depths of the ribs 7 and 8. Then the appropriate means for holding the artificial tooth in place, such as the inlays 4, may be added in the usual manner, together with the filling 10.

By the aid of this process, standard tooth forms may be utilized and may readily be converted to the desired shape that provides the lingual form for the facing portion of the base 1. The resultant configuration may be as shown in full lines in Fig. 3. Those portions of the ribs that have been removed are shown in thin outline.

By providing the ribbed form for the backing, the necessity of previously making a wax form of the lingual surface is avoided. The dentist merely grinds away the ribs 7 and 8 to provide a desired contour for this lingual form. Thereby there is saved the element of casting and refinishing the lingual form.

In that form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the facing 2 is held in place by a key and groove construction. The facing may be attached in any other appropriate way. s

For example, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the base 11 for the artificial tooth is shown as having a lower edge 12 which is covered by the facing 13. The facing 13 thus extends downwardly and underneath the base 11. The ribs 14 and 15 may be of similar conguration to the ribs shown in Fig. l. In this case, the facing 13 is attached by the aid of pins 16 carried by the facing. These pins may project into appropriate apertures formed in the ribs 14. In either case the facing may be additionally cemented into place.

If desired, the restoration with the filling 10 in the recesses formed by the ribs and the base 1 may be used as a pattern for making a solid replica thereof. This solid replica may then be used as the restoration. When this is done, it is unnecessary, of course, to use an expensive metallic filling for the recesses; instead, any appropriate plastic material may be used for this purpose.

In the event that a preparation of a natural tooth is used for attaching the restoration, a similar procedure may be followed. This is illustrated in Figs. 6, 8, and 9.

Thus, in Fig. 6, the prepared tooth 17 of generally tapered configuration is shown. In order to prepare a restoration for this preparation, a base 18 is provided to which ultimately a restored facing 21 may be secured in any appropriate manner. For example, formed with the base 18 are one or more projections, such as clamping wires 20, Which can be bent to form a clamp over the prepared tooth 17. The base 18, having ribs similar to ribs shown in Figs. 1 and 7, may be appropriately shaped, as by grinding, to provide the desired lingual contour by the aid of the metallic filling 19.

After this base 18 is in place upon the prepared tooth 17, Fig. 6, it may be removed; and a solid mass of plastic material, illustrated by reference character 21 in Figs. 8

and 9, is placed in front of the base 18 and around the f tooth 17 and clamping wires 20. This material 21 fills out the restoration to the desired contour. The attaching means 20 are firmly embedded within this material 21. If desired, additional anchoring means for the plastic filling may be provided, such as the abutinents or knobs 22, which become firmly embedded in the plastic 21.

After thus prepared, the restoration is secured to the preparation 17 in any desired manner, as by cementation.

The inventor claims:

l. An artificial tooth backing, comprising a base serving as a support for a facing, and intersecting ribs extending lingually of the base, said ribs being deep and formed of thin material; at least some of the ribs extending below the base.

2. An artificial tooth structure, comprising a base, a facing over the base, means attaching the base and the facing, and deep thin intersecting ribs extending rearwardly of the base; at least some of the ribs extending below the base.

3. An artificial tooth structure, comprising a base, a facing over the base, said facing extending below the base, means attaching the base and the facing, and deep, thin ribs extending rearwardly of the base; at least some of the ribs extending below the base.

4. A restoration for a tooth preparation comprising a base having ribs extending on the lingual side thereof, one or more clamps attached to the base at the facing side thereof for encompassing the tooth preparation, and plastic means to embed said clamps said plastic means having the shape of the restored tooth, said plastic means being attached to the facing side of the base.

5. An artificial tooth structure, comprising a base; a facing attached to one side of the base; and deep, thin ribs attached to the base on the other side of the base, some of the ribs extending downwardly beyond the base to provide an edge surface adapted to contact the gums.

6. An artificial tooth structure, comprising a base having a lower portion extending rearwardly; a facing attached to one side of the base and covering the said lower portion, the lower surface of the facing being adapted to contact the gums; and deep, thin ribs attached to the base on the other side of the base, some of the ribs extending downwardly to said lower portion.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,029,160 Wikner June 11, 1912 1,165,964 Fritz et al. Dec. 28, 1915 1,722,334 Montuori July 30, 1929 1,802,408 De Terra Apr. 28, 1931 1,850,889 Morris Mar. 22, 1932 1,882,511 Lourie Oct. 11, 1932 

